Pressure fluid drive systems for mine installations

ABSTRACT

A pressure fluid drive system for supplying pressure fluid to a number of different hydraulically-operated appliances in a mine working. The system employs two hydraulically interconnected pump units each having one or more pumps providing a plurality of pressure fluid outlets and a vessel containing a supply of pressure fluid for the pumps. Each of the outlets from the pumps is available for independently driving one of the appliances. One of the units has an additional pump used to circulate pressure fluid between the vessels of the pump units; the vessels of the units being directly interconnected via a conduit. Each pump unit has a device for cooling the fluid in the vessel and there is also provided a device for removing air from the fluid returned to the vessel of one of the units.

United States Patent Schwandt et a1. Mar. 5, 1974 [54] PRESSURE FLUIDDRIVE SYSTEMS FOR 3,222,865 12/1965 Miller 60/D1G 5 UX MINEINSTALLATIONS 3,604,205 9/1971 Geselbracht et a1 60/484 X 3,606,051 91971 Peterson et al 60/484 x g g Schwandt; Werner 3,623,320 11 1971Moore 60/486 Mennekes, both of Altlunen; Heinz Weinhold, Gelsenkirchen;Walter Weirich, Dortmund, all of Germany Gewerkschaft EisenhutteWestfalia, Wethmar near Lunen, Westfalia, Germany Filed: Feb. 4, 1972Appl. No.: 223,422

Assignee:

60/97 P, DIG. 10

Primary ExaminerEdgar W. Geoghegan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sughrue,Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [5 7 ABSTRACT A pressure fluid drivesystem for supplying pressure fluid to a number of differenthydraulically-operated appliances in a mine working. The system employstwo hydraulically interconnected pump units each having one or morepumps providing a plurality of pressure fluid outlets and a vesselcontaining a supply of pressure fluid for the pumps. Each of the outletsfrom the pumps is available for independently driving one of theappliances. One of the units has an additional pump used to circulatepressure fluid between the vessels of the pump units; the vessels of theunits being directly interconnected via a conduit. Each pump unit has adevice for cooling the fluid in the ves- [56] References Cited sel andthere is also provided a device for removing air UNITED STATES PATENTSfrom the fluid returned to the vessel of one of the units. 1,698,1891/1929 Dunbar 60/484 X 3,018,902 1/1962 Minty 60/97 P X 4 Claims, 1Drawing Figure PATENTH] MAR 5 I974 VmvmOm mm Wm rm mmrwmh mm? mm @m mmmm Om @N Q.

PRESSURE FLUID DRIVE SYSTEMS FOR MINE INSTALLATIONS BACKGROUND TO THEINVENTION The present invention relates to mineral mining installationsand more particularly to pressure fluid drive systems for use in suchinstallations.

In mineral mines it is known that installations sited, for example, inheading or drift galleries have various appliances including the actualmining, i.e., cutting machines which have to be powered. In most casesthese appliances are powered hydraulically and hitherto it has beencommon practice to provide pumps for supplying fluid to the applianceswith one pump supplying just one appliance or at most two appliances.Each pump thus employed is thus usually independently associated with asingle appliance. Each pump has to have a vessel for containing a supplyof pressure fluid for the pump and these supply vessels take up a largeamount of space. This is especially disadvantageous in view of therestricted space available in mine workings.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improvedpressure fluid drive system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there isprovided a pressure fluid drive system comprising two separatelyoperated pump units for supplying pressure fluid to different consumingappliances, each pump unit having at least one pump and a vessel forcontaining a supply of pressure fluid, the system additionallycomprising a further pump for conveying pressure fluid between thevessels of said pump units.

Each pump unit preferably has a plurality of pressure fluid pumpoutlets.

Further, according to the invention, there is provided a mineral mininginstallation having a conveyor, a mineral cutting machine with a cuttingdevice, roof support assemblies employing hydraulically-operated props,a hydraulically operated drive unit for driving the cutting device, ahydraulically operated drive unit for moving the machine, ahydraulically operated drive unit for operating the conveyor and apressure fluid system for supplying pressure fluid to said drive unitsand the props, the pressure fluid system comprising two separatelyoperated pump units, each having at least one pump with a plurality ofpressure fluid outlets and a vessel for containing a supply of pressurefluid, one of the pump units being connected to supply pressure fluid tothe drive unit for moving the machine, to the drive unit for operatingthe conveyor and to the props, while the other of the pump units isconnected to supply pressure fluid to the cutting device; the other ofthe pump units having a further pump adapted to circulate pressure fluidbetween the vessels of the pump units.

The aforesaid vessels are preferably designed to have the minimumcapacity, commensurate with the performance required and the systemenables the maximum performance to be achieved in the minimum of space.A number of appliances, typically up to eight, can be operated by thetwo pump units. By adopting vessels of minimum capacity however thepressure fluid has little time to settle before it is returned to theappliance in question. Thus to avoid overheating preferably each pumpunit is provided with a device for cooling the pressure fluid.

' electrically powered, for driving the pump or pumps therein. In apreferred construction the drive motor of one of the pump units operatesthree pumps each having a plurality of pressure fluid outlets, the motorbeing coupled to said pumps via gearing. One of these three pumps may bea reciprocating-piston type pump. Also in this preferred constructionthe drive motor of the other of the pump units operates areciprocating-piston type pump, constituting said at least one pump, andoperates said further pump. Preferably an outlet of one of said threepumps of said one pump unit is connected to the reciprocating-pistonpump of the other of the pump units via pressure fluid conduit. Thisenables a quantity of pre-pressurized fluid to be fed to thereciprocatingpiston pump in order to compensate for leakage and ensurean adequate supply of fresh fluid. The flow of fluid to the pump inquestion may amount to about 56 litres per minute.

The further pump used to circulate fluid between the pump units may infact convey pressure fluid from the vessel of the other of the pumpunits to the vessel of said one pump unit and the vessels of the pumpunits are preferably interconnected by means of a pressure fluidconduit.

According to another feature of the invention the system is additionallyprovided with a device for removing air from pressure fluid returned tothe vessel of one of the pump units.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other featuresof the invention may become more apparent from consideration of thefollowing description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING An embodiment of the invention will now bede scribed, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanyingdrawing; which is a diagrammatic representation of a pressure fluiddrive system made in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawing the systemhas two selfcontained pump units denoted 1 and 2. The pump unit 1 iscomposed of an electric drive motor 15 coupled via intermediate gearingcontained in a gear-box 6 to two hydraulically geared pumps 7, 9. Thepumps 7, 9 each have three operating stages or sections providing threeoutlets of pressure fluid. In addition, the motor 15 drives a furtherpump 8 employing a reciprocating piston. The unit 1 has in addition, avessel 19 containing the supply of pressure fluid, a device 21 forremoving air from the pressure fluid returned to the vessel 19 and adevice 3 for cooling the pressure fluid.

The pump unit 2 is composed of an electric drive motor 17 coupled viagearing to a hydraulically geared pump 5 and to a further pump 16employing a reciprocating piston. The unit 2 also employs a vessel 20containing the supply of pressure fluid and a device 4 for cooling thepressure fluid.

Also ahown in the drawing is a mineral mining machine 14 employing arotary cutting device operated by a hydraulically-driven unit 10.

The machine 14 is moved along the mineral face by means of ahydraulically-driven drive unit 13. A conveyor extends up to the machine14 andthe conveyor employs a circulated scraper chain assembly driven bymeans of a hydraulically-driven drive unit 11.

The mining installation further employs roof support assemblies withhydraulically-operated props 12.

The various hydraulic fluid consuming appliances 10, 13, 14, 11 and 12are supplied with pressure fluid from the units 1, 2. More particularly,the pump 16 is connected to the drive unit via a pressure fluid supplyconduit 23 and a pressure fluid return conduit 24. One outlet from thepump 9 is connected to the drive unit 13 via a pressure fluid supplyconduit 29 and a pressure fluid return conduit 30 extends from the unit13 to the vessel 19. Although not'shown in the drawing another outletfrom the pump 9 could conveniently supply fluid to a drilling machine.

The pump 8 is connected to the props 12 via a pressure fluid supplyconduit 27 and for clarity the connection to only one of the props 12 isillustrated. The props 12 are connected through a pressure fluid returnconduit 28 to the vessel 19 and again only one return conduit 28 hasbeen shown. One of the outlets from the pump 7 is connected to the driveunit 11 via a pressure fluid supply conduit 25 and a pressure fluidreturn conduit 26 extends from the unit 11 to the vessel 19.

Another of the outlets from the pump 7 feeds a quantity ofpre-pressurized pressure fluid to the pump 16 via a conduit 33 in orderto compensate for leakage.

The pump 5 acts to circulate pressure fluid from the vessel to thevessel 19. To this end there is provided a pressure fluid conduit 34which extends from the pump 5 to the vessel 20, and acts to draw fluidfrom the vessel 20 into the pump 5 by suction, and a pressure fluidconduit 31 which extends from the pump 5 to the vessel 19 and conveyspressure fluid thereto. The vessels 19, 20 are linked by a conduit 32.The pump 5 acts to convey fluid through the conduits 34, 31 which actserially as a pressure fluid supply conduit, and fluid is returned fromthe vessel 19 to the vessel 20 through the conduit 32 which acts as areturn conduit. The return conduits 28, 30 and 26 are connected to theconduit 31 and the conduit 31 is connected via the air removal device 21to the vessel 19. In this way most of the returning fluid is passedthrough the device 21.

The preferred system as described can in fact drive some eight separatepressure fluid consuming units although in this particular example onlyfive such units are utilized.

We claim:

1. In a mineral mining installation having fluid pressure operatedappliances, a fluid pressure drive system comprising:

first and second separately operated pumping units each comprising amotor, at least one pump having a plurality of outlets, gearing drivablyconnecting said motor to said pump, a vessel for storing pressure fluidfor said pump, and a device for cooling fluid-pressure,

first conduit means connecting the outlets of said pump of the firstpumping unit to a first set of said appliances, second conduit meansconnecting the outlets of said pump of the second pumping unit to asecond set of said appliances, an auxiliary pump in said first pumpingunit, third conduit means connecting said auxiliary pump between thestorage vessels of said pumping units, and a fluid pressure returnconduit interconnected between said storage vessels.

2. The mining installation of claim 1 wherein the motor in each pumpingunit is electrically powered.

3. The mining installation of claim 1 wherein the motor in thesecondpumping unit drives three pumps.

4. The mining instaliation of claim 3 wherein one of said three pumps isof the reciprocating piston type.

1. In a mineral mining installation having fluid pressure operatedappliances, a fluid pressure drive system comprising: first and secondseparately operated pumping units each comprising a motor, at least onepump having a plurality of outlets, gearing drivably connecting saidmotor to said pump, a vessel for storing pressure fluid for said pump,and a device for cooling fluid pressure, first conduit means connectingthe outlets of said pump of the first pumping unit to a first set ofsaid appliances, second conduit means connecting the outlets of saidpump of the second pumping unit to a second set of said appliances, anauxiliary pump in said first pumping unit, third conduit meansconnecting said auxiliary pump between the storage vessels of saidpumping units, and a fluid pressure return conduit interconnectedbetween said storage vessels.
 2. The mining installation of claim 1wherein the motor in each pumping unit is electrically powered.
 3. Themining installation of claim 1 wherein the motor in the second pumpingunit drives three pumps.
 4. The mining installation of claim 3 whereinone of said three pumps is of the reciprocating piston type.